Apparatus for potting of plants

ABSTRACT

A hollow drum is mounted for rotation about an at least substantially horizontal axis and in its opposite axial ends it is provided with respective center openings through one of which particulate potting material such as earth in flowable state is to be introduced. A feed introduces through the other of the openings sequentially upwardly open potting containers which are subsequently withdrawn from this other opening. Rotating means rotates the drum about its axis and entraining blades interiorly of the drum continuously entrain and lift the potting material upwardly of the potting containers so that it cascades over and into them, thereby filling them preparatory to their withdrawal from the other opening.

United States Patent Krause 1 Apr. 25, 1972 54] APPARATUS FOR POTTING OF PLANTS [72] Inventor: Bruno Krause, 6949 Gadem near Waldmichelbach, Germany [22] Filed: Sept. 30, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 76,949

Lortz et a1. ..47/1 Broersma ..47/1

Primary Examiner-Robert E. Bagwill Attorney-Michael S. Striker 57 ABSTRACT A hollow drum is mounted for rotation about an at least substantially horizontal axis and in its opposite axial ends it is provided with respective center openings through one of which particulate potting material such as earth in flowable state is to be introduced. A feed introduces through the other of the openings sequentially upwardly open potting containers which are subsequently withdrawn from this other opening. Rotating means rotates the drum about its axis and entraining blades interiorly of the drum continuously entrain and lift the potting material upwardly of the potting containers so that it cascades over and into them, thereby filling them preparatory to their withdrawal from the other opening.

36 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures mmms m2 SHEET 6 [IF 8 M WUQ INVENTOP. who M9405! PATENTEB APR 2 5 I972 SHEET 8 OF 8 ==& F

APPARATUS FOR POTTING OF PLANTS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention concerns an apparatus for the potting of plants.

Plant potting apparatus is already known. It is used in applications where the volume of plants to be potted is so great that manual operation is no longer economically feasible. One known type of plant potting apparatus uses a cross-shaped member which is discontinuously rotatable and provided on its arms with potholders, that is holders for the plant containers. The member has four arms and each arm can be sequentially moved to four different stations. At one of these stations the plant containers are manually introduced into the respective holders; subsequent rotating of the member through 90 places the arm provided with such an empty container at a station where potting material usually earth is introduced into it. The potting material is generally supplied by means of screw conveyors, bucket conveyors or the like. Once the container is filled with the potting material a further turning of the member through 90 places it at a third station where a hole is punched or drilled into the potting material accommodated in the container, and still a further turning movement of the member now places the container at another operating station at which the container is manually removed from the holder. A final 90 turning movement returns the arm with the now empty holder to the first station where a new empty container is placed into the holder. The filled container removed at the preceding operating station has inserted into it, that is into the hole provided in the potting material, a plant which is to be thus potted.

The known potting machines, of which the above-described one is exemplary, suffer from various disadvantages. Thus, the conveyance of the potting material by means of bucket or screw conveyors is frequently not satisfactory. This is particularly true if the potting material is soil or earth which may and frequently does contain non-fryable particles such as rocks, metal pieces or the like. Under such circumstances the conveyor means employed may jam. In addition, and this is especially true of screw conveyors, the soil or other potting material becomes compacted during conveying and is introduced in this state into the containers. It is well known, however, that in most instances where plants are to be potted the soil should be loose rather than being compacted. I

An additional disadvantage of the prior-art apparatuses is the fact that the manual insertion of empty containers and the manual removal of filled containers may frequently lead to difficulties in the operation of the apparatus if the operator or operators are not sufficiently skillled, if their attention is distracted or if other circumstances occur which make it impossible for them to keep up with the operating speed and sequence of the machine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages of the prior art.

More particularly it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for potting of plants which is not possessed of these disadvantages.

An additional object of the invention is to provide such an improved potting apparatus in which manual insertion into and removal from the machine of the potting containers is eliminated.

A concomitant object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus which can be operated at greater output than heretofore.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus in which the particular potting material is supplied into the pots in a manner not susceptible to jamming of the apparatus in the presence of non-fryable particles in the potting material, and in which the potting material does not undergo undesired compacting.

In pursuance of the above objects, and others which will become apparent hereafter, one feature of the invention resides in an apparatus for potting of plants comprising a hollow drum mounted for rotation about an at least substantially horizontal axis and having opposite axial ends each of which is provided with a center opening through one of which the drum is adapted to receive particulate potting material in fiowable state. Feed means cooperates with the drum for sequentially advancing upwardly open potting containers through the other of the openings to a first location within the drum, and subsequently to a second location outside the drum. Rotating means rotates the drum about its axis and entraining means is provided interiorly of and rotatable with the drum for continuously entraining and cascading the potting material over and into potting containers at the first location so as to fill them preparatory to their advancement to the second location.

The invention overcomes the difficulties of the prior art as concerns jamming of the potting material conveyors, and also of course the inevitable wear occurring on such conveyors, in that the potting material can be introduced into the hollow drum of the novel apparatus in any suitable manner, for instance by manually shoveling it in from a wheelbarrow or the like, or by admitting it on a conveyor which, because the drum may be of quite substantial diameter, can be rather large and is therefore not subject to jamming or other difficulties due to the presence of non-fryable particles in the potting material. The interior of the drum, which latter rotates continuously when in operation, can be filled and maintained in such condition with potting material to a certain level, over its entire length, but obviously not above the lowermost edge of the first and second center openings because otherwise the material would fall out of these openings. The presence of the entraining means, usually in form of entraining blades provided on the interior surface of the drum wall at least in the region of the center opening through which the potting containers are introduced and removed, has a twofold purpose. On the one hand the constant entraining of soil or potting material by the entraining blades assures that the potting material will constantly be loosened and will not have a chance to become compacted; if it should enter the drum in compacted state, it will be broken up and loosened due to this constant entraining. On the other hand, the entraining means raises the potting material upwardly in the drum so that it then cascades back down after reaching a certain level; the potting containers are so inserted into the drum that the potting material fills these containers as it cascades over them with excess potting materialthat is the material which is in excess of that needed for filling the respective container-simply falling back into the mass of material accommodated in the drum without in any way influencing the operation of the machine.

On the other hand, the difficulties arising in the known machines due to the necessity for manually inserting and removing the potting containers are avoided in the apparatus according to the present invention in that the containers are automatically supplied to the drum and are equally automatically removed from the drum.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is an end view of one embodiment of an apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, looking towards the left in that Figure;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, partly sectioned, somewhat diagrammatic detail view on an enlarged scale illustrating a further embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3, as seen looking essentially from the left to the right in that Figure;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary top-plan detail view, on an enlarged scale, of a further embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5a is a fragmentary partially sectioned view on an enlarged scale, showing a detail of the apparatus of the embodiment in FIG. 5;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged top-plan detail view showing a holder for potting containers, for use with the apparatus according to the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective detail view of the novel apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Before entering into a discussion of the individual Figures, a general review of the characteristics and advantages of the novel apparatus will be beneficial. The novel apparatus supplies the potting containers to the drum not manually, but in an automatic sequence in that a chute is provided which is inclined and on which a stack of potting containers is accommodated so that the stack tends to move towards a discharge end of the chute where the containers are individually discharged to the holders provided as a part of the feed means and which holders serially move the containers into and out of the drum. The lowermost and therefore leading container of this stack is engaged by a holding arrangement, and the containers are so nested that an upper marginal portion of each successive container is exposed, that is located outside the upper open end of the respectively preceding container. This marginal portion of the second container of the stack, that is the one nested in the respectively leading container, is engaged by another holding arrangement whereby the second container and thereby the stack are prevented from moving along the chute to the discharge end of the latter when the first holding arrangement releases the leading container so that the same can move to the discharge end. The second holding arrangement releases the second or trailing container and thereby the stack for advancement only after the leading container has moved out of the way and the first holding arrangement is ready to engage the previously trailing container, which has now become the leading container. Advantageously the first holding arrangement utilizes a plate member which engages the end face of the respectively leading container, whereas the second holding means advantageously utilizes a pressure-exerting pin or rod member which presses against the marginal exposed portion of the trailing container.

According to a further embodiment of the invention it is also advantageous to provide downwardly below the chute a single-armed lever which is pivotable and carries at its free end the aforementioned plate member, whereas a similar lever is arranged upwardly above the chute-both levers extending in substantial parallelism with the elongation of the chute and which carries at its free end a weight and intermediate the free end and its pivot axis the pressure pin and a distancing element which normally bears against the lower of the levers. The lower lever is then pivotable by electromagnetic means, a Bowden linkage or the like against an elastic restoring force urging it towards the chute, in a sense in which the distancing element first moves out of engagement with the lower lever so that the weight acting upon the upper lever displaces the same in such a manner that the pressure pin carried thereby presses against the edge portion of the second container in the stack, that is the one nested in the leading container, and that only thereupon the engaging plate carried by the lower lever will move out of engagement with the leading container.

The apparatus according to the present invention further provides a drill which can be moved vertically into and out of a position in which it can drill holes in the potting material accommodated in the filled containers. Further, the feed means which supplies the empty containers to the interior of the drum andwhich removes them in filled condition, is intermittently operated, just as a conveyor is provided which is also intermittently operated and removes the filled containers. Operated in synchronism with the operation of the drill, that of the feed means and that of the conveyor, the supply means supplies the empty containers to the feed means. For this purpose there is provided a drive, normally an electric motor common to all of these various devices and which carries on the output shaft thereof a cam plate which advantageously activates a magnet switch, at such times as the four arms of the cross-shaped member which feeds the containers into the interior of the drum and removes them therefrom, are located at the respective operating stations; that is when one of these arms with the associated holder for a container is empty and located in such a position that it can receive an empty container, that is the container which is the leading one of the stack. At such time the magnet switch operates a magnet which displaces the lower arm mentioned above, whereby initially the upper arm is displaced towards the stack because its abutment or distancing member is no longer in engagement with the lower arm. This movement of the upper arm takes place until the pressure pin carried thereby contacts and presses against the exposed upper marginal portion of the first trailing container which is nested in the leading container, whereby the trailing container and any others following it in the stack are prevented from further movement. Only when such contact has taken place, the contact plate contacting the leading container and prevent it until now from movement, will release the leading container as a result of continued movement of the lower arm away from the chute under the influence of the magnet. Now the leading container is free to move under the influence of gravity and will descend-guided by the portion of the trailing container which is nested in it into the empty holder which is located below it. The alternate retention of the leading and the first of the trailing containers is of course essential, so that the leading container can move when it is subsequently released.

The invention deals also with the fact that in different countries difi'erently-configurated containers for potting purposes are used. Thus, the containers used for instance in the United States and Germany, such as flower pots, have thickened upper marginal portions which project somewhat outwardly from the outer circumferential surface of the respective container. The edges of these marginal portions are so configurated that when these containers are nested within one another, the upper edge of the lower container tightly engages the lower edge on the marginal portion of the upper container so that no gap remains in which an engaging'member could engage. In England and in the Scandinavian countries, on the other hand, it is customary to use as flower pots or potting containers such containers in which the outer or upper marginal portion which projects outwardly beyond the outer circumference of the respective container has a surface which is not parallel with the longitudinal axis of the container but which instead is conically tapered towards the bottom so that the marginal portions of such containers can wedgingly nest within one another.

The invention also takes into account that the pressureparticularly if the potting containers are made of clay or the likeexerted upon them by the pressure pin or analogous member must not be too great because otherwise it might cause damage to the containers. Therefore, it is advantageous that the chute be inclined only to such an extent that the stack and the individual containers can still advance under the influence of gravity when released, but that the chute itself carries at least a portion of the weight of the stack which makes it possible to reduce the pressure to be exerted upon the containers by the pressure pin. The angle of inclination for the chute is, generally speaking, dependent upon the coefficient of friction between the chute on the one hand and the containers on the other hand, with the weight of the containers and of the stack of course also being important. If different types of containers are to be used in one and the same machine at different times, for instance, that is if containers of diflerent materials and different weight are to be used, then it is advantageous to make the angle of inclination of the chute adjustable.

With the construction according to the present invention the supply means including the chute is not only simple in its construction but also subject to little or no wear, even if the relatively heavy clay containers are used. In order to provide good guidance for the stack of containers it is advantageous to construct the chute as a sleeve or tubular member which surrounds the stack and guides it. Of course, if pots or containers of different diameters are to be used on one and the same machine, then it would be necessary to exchange the sleeve of one diameter for one of a different diameter whenever the diameter of the pots or containers is changed. Evidently, it is not necessary for the chute to be configurated as a closed tubular sleeve, however. Also it is possible to configurate at least the upper end portion of a chute of tubular sleeveshaped configuration as an open trough-like channel in order to facilitate the insertion of stacks of containers.

The chute, no matter what its configuration, is advantageously so constructed as to leave at least the upper marginal portion of the leading container free, and to leave at least a part of the upper marginal portions of the first trailing container-that is the one nested in the leading container-free to permit proper engagement with the pressure pin. It would of course be possible to leave the entire upper margin of the first trailing container free, but it is preferred to leave only a portion thereof free in order to provide the best possible guidance for the first trailing container. Of course, it would also be possible to provide suitable cut-outs or apertures in the chute for facilitating such access.

It is also advantageous according to the present invention to make the upper and lower single-armed levers adjustable. For this purpose the lower lever may be provided with a spacing screw which normally abuts against the chute, while the pressure pin on the upper lever is preferably externally threaded and meshes with the threads of a tapped bore provided in the upper lever. It is advantageous to configurate the holding members which hold the individual containers supplied to them by the supply means, in substantially U-shaped configuration with the open side of the U facing away from the axis of rotation about which the cross-shaped member of the feed means turns. This facilitates the automatic removal of the filled containers when the latter have been removed from the interior of the drum. For this purpose an inclined guide surface on a plate or the like can be provided over which the filled containers resting in the holding members ride up or slide up as the arm carrying the respective holding member moves to the station at which the filled containers are to be transferred to the conveyor. The conveyor then removes the filled containers radially away from the apparatus. In order to prevent the spacing between the individual filled containers on the conveyor from being too large, the arrangement is preferably such in accordance with a further concept of the invention that the magnet, which is activated by the cam disk mounted on the output shaft of the motor and which actuates the release mechanism releasing the containers from the stack in the chute, will also trigger brief advancement of the conveyor itself at such times, so that the conveyor advances only intermittently.

It would be possible according to another concept of the invention, to surround the apparatus or portions thereof with a detaining rail so positioned as to preclude centrifugal ejection of the filled containers from the open side of the U-shaped holding members if the machines operates at relatively high speed, and to permit such ejection only at a predetermined location where the containers would then become deposited on the conveyor. Of course, whenever the diameter of the containers being used is changed, it would then be necessary to change the guide rail or detaining rail. However, it is simpler in accordance with a further concept of the invention to so configurate the circumferential wall of the U-shaped holding members that the edges bounding the opposite sides of the opening are spaced from one another by a distance which corresponds to the diameter of the respective containers slightly below the upper marginal portion thereof. This prevents centrifugal ejection and the filled container is then removed, as mentioned before, by having its bottom contact and slide over an inclined guide surface whereby the container is lifted upwardly out of the associated holding member and can move onto and be carried away by the conveyor without interference by the arm portions of the U-shaped holding member. Naturally, the holding members must be changed against other of requisite diameter whenever the diameter of the containers themselves is changed.

It is also possible and contemplated as one embodiment of the invention to make only one of the holding means for holding the stacked containers, movable. This simplifies the construction and also simplifies the adjustments necessary when it is desired to switch from containers of one diameter to containers of another diameter. In such a construction it is possible to replace the plate-shaped holding or engaging portion with two stationary contact portions which engage from opposite sides under the lower edge of the upper marginal portion of the respectively leading container. The spacing of these holding portions is preferably adjustable with reference to one another, and their spacing from one another is smaller than the diameter of the container. The pressure pin or analogous member cooperating with the first trailing container is then so arranged that it presses from below against the stack of containers in the chute, lifting the stack to the extent necessary to free the upper marginal portion of the leading container from the two contact portions whereby the container can descend under the influence of gravity. In this case there is further provided a counter-pressure member which is biased by a weight or by a spring and against whichbeing located at the side opposite the side from which the pressure pin contacts the stack of containersthe upper marginal portion of the first trailing container is pressed when the stack is lifted, so that the trailing containers are retained against gravity descent. Subsequently the pressure pin or analogous element is withdrawn to permit the stack to return to its original position whereby, the stack,

' as a result of disengagement from the counterpressure member, slides downwardly until the upper marginal portion of the previously first trailing containerwhich has now become the leading container-is engaged by the engaging portions. In such a construction the apparatus can be accommodated to containers of different dimensions by simply changing the axial position of the engaging portions, that is moving them axially of the chute as necessary to accommodate their positioning to different heights of the upper marginal portions on different containers. Further, the transverse spacing of these engaging portions can be varied to accommodate them to different container diameters and the spacing between the pressure pin or analogous member and the counterpressure member can be changed to accommodate them to different diameters of the containers. It is, incidentally, advantageous to provide all portions of the apparatus which engage upper marginal portions of the containers under pressure, with buffer parts such as pads or the like of elastomeric material, to prevent damage to the containers.

In so far as the type of container is used which is preferred for instance in England and in the Scandinavian countries, where the upper marginal portions themselves nest and have a tendency to wedgingly interengage, difficulties might arise because the leading container may not separate from the nested trailing container simply under the influence of gravity. Such difficulties are overcome by replacing the pressure pin or analogous member with an element providing two pressure pins for engagement with the upper marginal portion of the first trailing container and with a plate portion which is movable lengthwise of the stack in direction towards the discharge end thereof, and which engages the upper free edge on the upper marginal portion on the leading or lower container to thereby push the latter off the nested trailing container.

With these explanations in mind, and now discussing firstly the embodiment of the novel apparatus as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be seen that reference numeral 1 identifies a frame or support carrying the illustrated wheel supports 2,

supporting legs 3, bearing supports 4, drill column which according to FIG. 2 consists of two parallel members 5a and 5b, a container magazine column 6, stack-holding column 7, transmission 8 and guide rails 9.

FIG. 1 shows most clearly that shafts 10 and 11 are respectively journalled in the bearing supports 4 with each of the shafts carrying two support rollers 12. On the thus-providedfour support rollers 12 is supported the drum 13 which is clearly shown in FIG. 1 and also in FIG. 2, and which is rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis.

The columns 6 and 7 are connected with one another by a tubular conduit 14, here illustrated as a conduit of square cross-section which carries a gear motor 15. A pulley 16 is mounted on the output shaft of the gear motor and cooperates with a drive belt 18 to drive via the same a pulley 17 fast with the bearing supports 4.

A shaft 19 is provided on the column 7 and has mounted on it a tubular socket 20. A cross-shaped member 22 having four arms is provided on the upper end 21 of the socket and each of the arms carries one of the container holders 102. The tubular socket 20 can be rapidly changed for a longer or shorter one, depending upon the height of the containers with which the apparatus is to be used.

As shown in FIG. 1, a motor 3 is mounted on the guide rods 9 for horizontal displacement. The output shaft of the motor 23 carries a regulating pulley 24 as illustrated which cooperates via a belt 26 with the pulley mounted on the transmission 8. The output shaft of the transmission 8 is identified with reference numeral 80 and carries a bearing 29 on which there is mounted a flat mounting plate 30 which connects the column 5 with the column 7. In addition, a drive pulley 31 is also mounted on the shaft 28 and serves for turning the maltese-cross drive 121 which is turnably mounted on and fast with the shaft 19 carrying the cross member 22, the latter being part of the feed means as will be evident.

A bevel gear 32 is also mounted on shaft 28 and earns with an additional bevel gear which is mounted on a shaft 33 extending normal to the elongation of the shaft 28. The shaft 33 is journalled in a bearing 35 provided on the drill column 5 and carries on its opposite end, away from the bevel gear 34, a gear 36 and a bell crank 37 shown both in FIGS. 1 and 2.

As most clearly seen in FIG. 1, the upper end of the drill column 5 is provided with bearings 38 and 39 in which there are mounted guide rods 40 and 41 which extend in parallelism with the axis of the column 5 and of which only the one identified with reference numeral 40 is visible in FIG. 1, it being understood that the guide rod 41 is located behind the guide rod 40 and is therefore not visible.

Journals 42 and 44 are vertically slidable on the guide rod 40, and similar journals 43 and 45 are vertically slidable on the guide rod 41; these journals carry the motor 53 which is provided with a readily changeable drill head 54. The drill head operates somewhat in the manner of a countersinking drill used for countersinking bore holes in wood or metal; except of course that the drill head 54 in this case simply provides a relatively large hole in the loose particulate potting material in the filled containers, into which hole subsequently the roots of a plant to be potted will be introduced. The head 54 is replaceable because it may be desirable to make larger or smaller holes. The movement of the bell crank 37 is converted via the rod 46 into a vertical shifting of the journals 42, 43, 44 and 45, and therefore into a concomitant vertical displacement of the motor 53.

A gear 39 is mounted on a horizontal shaft 68 which is journalled in bearings 56 and 57. It is connected with the gear 36 by means of a chain 60. A shaft 63 is journalled in bearings 61 and 62 which are respectively carried by the column 5 and the column 6 and which shaft 63 is axially aligned with the shaft 58 and carries, as shown in FIG. 2, one end of a conveyor belt 70 which serves for moving filled containers towards the right out of the U-shaped container holder 102 whose open side faces towards the right also.

A magnetic coupling 64 of known construction connects the shaft 58 with the shaft 63 and is activated when a cam disk 72 fast with the shaft 28 energizes a magnet switch 73. In this case the shafts 58 and 63 become coupled with one another for joint rotation so that during this time, that is for the period of time during which the shafts are coupled for joint rotation via the magnetic coupling 64, the belt is advanced by one step so that the operation of the belt is intermittent and takes place at such time in which the cross member 22 is in one of its operating positions, that is while it stands still as opposed to the period of time during which it moves. Conversely, while the cross member 22 turns the belt 70 remains stationary to avoid the development of excessively large spaces between consecutive containers which are supplied onto the belt 70 from the cross member 22.

A slotted plate-like or sheet-like member 74 is securedas by weldingto the column 6 and a tube 75 of square crosssection is vertically displaceable in the slot of the member 74, as well as being pivotable about a screw or bolt 76. A correspondingly thinner tube 77 of quadratic cross-section is accommodated in the tube 75 and carries via a plate 78 the chute 79. A lower single-armed lever 81 is pivotably connected at to the plate 78 and carries an adjusting screw 82 which presses against the chute 79, a centering member 83 embracing chute 79, and a retaining plate 84. The tube 75 carries the magnet 85 which is activated via the switch 73 and the cam plate 72 and is of course an electromagnet. A plate member 88 is carried by the chute 79 at its upper side and at 89 the single-armed upper lever 90 is pivotably mounted on this member 88. It comprises a distancing member 91 or abutment member which surrounds the chute with spacing and presses against the arm 81. The arm 90 further carries an adjustable pressure pin 92 which presses against the edge or upper marginal portion 110 of the first trailing container nested within the lowest or leading container 104. Finally, the arm 90 also carries a weight 90 which is adjustable and displaceable on the end portion 93 of the arm 90.

As FIG. 1 shows, the inner surface of the drum 13 is providedat least in the region of the opening 112 thereof which is located at the right-hand end in FIG. 2with entraining means in form of entraining blades 95 which rotate with the drum during rotation of the latter.

The apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 requires nonnally the services of two operators, one of whom replenishes the potting material in the drum 13 and replenishes the stack of containers in the chute 79, while the other operator places the root or root bulbs of plants to be potted into the holes provided in the potting material of containers on the conveyor 70, whereupon the containers with the thus-potted plants are manually removed from the conveyor 70.

The preparations necessary for using the apparatus according to the present invention and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in any given case require that the apparatus be provided with a drill head 54 of the desired size, that is a drill head which will produce holes of the desired size. Then, the cross member 22 having container holders 102 of a size requisite for accepting the dimensions of containers to be used, is placed onto the shaft 19 and the chute 79 with the associated tube 77 is connected with the tube 75, the selection of the chute 79 depending upon the diameter of the containers to be used. Now containers and potting material are supplied to the machine and the latter is activated.

It will be appreciated that the machine operates at four different stations simultaneously. At the first of these the containers are placed into the container holders 102 which is accomplished in that the cam plate 72 carried on the shaft 28 presses upon the button or similar activating means of the switch 73, whereby via non-illustrated conductors the electromagnet 85 is energized which is secured on the tube 75. The electromagnet 85 draws the arm 81 downwardly in the drawing to such an extent that the plate 84 releases the leading container which can now slide downwardly into the container holder 102, guided by the outer surface of the nested trailing container. As the arm 81 moves downwardly, but before the plate 84 releases the leading container 104, the upper arm 90 also moves downwardly because the abutment member 91 thereof no longer is supported by the arms 81. The arm 90 therefore moves downwardly under the influence of the weight 94 to such an extent that the tip of the pressure pin or screw 92 presses against the upper margin 110 of the first trailin g container whereby the same and all other containers of the stack are retained against following the container 104. The arrangement is such that the tip of the screw 92 prior to activation of the magnet 85 will be spaced only by a few millimeters from the surface of the marginal portion 110, so that the leading container 104 will be freed by the plate 84 only after the screw 92 is already in retaining engagement with the marginal portion 110.

Continued rotation of the cam disk 72 results in releasing of the activating button of the switch 73, whereupon the electromagnet 85 becomes de-energized and the lever 81 and its plate 84 are returned to their starting position under the influence of a returning spring provided for this purpose. It will be appreciated that the arm 81 abuts against the spacing member 91 only in the last few millimeters of its movement back to rest position, so that only during these last few millimeters the upper lever 90 will be upwardly displaced to its normal rest position. Because of this the tip of the screw 92 will become disengaged from the marginal portion 110 only after the plate 84 is in blocking position so that the stack can slide downwardly only when the plate 84 is in this position, whereby it is reliably assured that the previously trailing and now leading container will be engaged and prevented from further movement by the plate 84.

As this release of the containers and the downward sliding of the stack takes place, the cross member 22 is turned through 90, bringing the just-introduced empty container into a position at another station, namely moving it into the interior of the drum 13 through the opening 112, as illustrated in FIG. 2. The drum, which as previously stated, may have a diameter of one meter or more or less, is slowly rotated about a substantially horizontal axis via a gear motor 51 and the pulley 16 mounted on the output shaft thereof, as well as via the belt 18, the pulley 17, the shaft 11 and the supporting rollers 12. During such movement a portion of the potting material, normally soil, accommodated in the lower regions of the drum 13, is entrained and lifted upwardly by the blades 95 until it has reached an elevation at which it cascades off the blades downwardly over the container which is positioned in the interior of the drum. This will fill the container with the cascading potting material, and excess potting material will simply drop into the body of potting material accommodated in the drum. The rotational speed of the drum, as well as the entraining capacity of the entraining blades 95, are advantageously so selected that they will be adequate for even the largest-dimensioned containers to be filled; this assures that if smaller containers are used, the mixing effect exerted upon the potting material by the entraining blades 95 will be correspondingly better.

The container which is now filled with loose potting material is moved to another location or station outside the drum, by a further rotation of the member 22 through 90 degrees. Here it is in a position in which the drill head 54 drills a hole into the potting material for which purpose the double gear 34 so drives the bell crank 37 that the motor 53 with the drill head 54 is downwardly displaced via the rod 46, whereby the rotating drill head 54 drills into the potting material a hole into which the plant to be potted subsequently can be inserted. Any potting material which may be ejected from the container during such drilling can be returned through the opening 112 into the drum 13 via a non-illustrated inclined track or a chute.

Subsequently to drilling of the planting hole in the potting material, the motor 53 with its drill head 54 is moved upwardly again via the intermediary of the rod 46 and the bell crank 37. Thereupon the cross member 22 is again turned through 90 so that the arm carrying the container into whose potting material-filling a hole has now been drilled,'reaches still another or a fourth station. After it has reached this station, the conveyor 70 is briefly activated via the cam plate and the switch 73 in the manner previously described, so that the container carried until now by the container holder 102 is removed from the container holder 102 and carried away by the conveyor 70 (towards the right). An operator will now insert the roots of the plant into the hole in the potting material filling in this container, and will then remove the container from the conveyor.

The rotational displacement of the cross member 22, which of course carries on each of its anns one of the container holders 102, is imparted via the motor 23, the regulating pulley 24, the belt 26, the pulley 25, the transmission 8, the coupling 26, the shaft 28, the drive pulley 31 and the maltese-cross drive 121 which is connected with the tubular socket 20. The diameter of the regulating pulley 24 can be changed, by displacing the motor 23 along the guide rods 9, with a concomitant variation in the speed of the periodic 90 displacement of the cross member 22, the vertical displacement of the drill head 54, the periodic activation of the conveyor 70 and the periodic disengagement of the respectively leading container 104 by the arm 81.

Once an arm of the cross member 22 has reached the fourth position or station at which the filled container is removed from its container holder 102, the next displacement of the cross member 22 through 90 will bring this same arm to its starting position at which it can receive another empty container from the chute.

The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 is a modification of the arrangement for supplying the containers into the container holders. Here, it is intended to effect discharging of the respectively leading container by lifting the stack of containers. To make this possible, the chute is not constructed as a closed sleeve surrounding the stack, but instead as a channel 279. A pair of engagement members 284 and 285 engage beneath the lower edge 209 on the upper marginal portion of the leading container 204, holding the latter against displacement. The channel 279 itself comprises a bottom wall portion 250a on which there are mounted two angular members 250 and 251 whose transverse spacing is preferably adjustable so as to permit the chute 279 to be accommodated to containers of different diameter. FIG. 4 is a bottom view of FIG. 3, which is to say a view looking longitudinally of the chute 279 against the bottom face of the leading container 204 therein.

In this embodiment, a lower single-armed lever 214 is pivotable about a pivot 212 and can be displaced in clockwise direction by a Bowden linkage 215 as shown in FIG. 3. A ten sion spring 216 opposes such displacement. A buffer portion 218 of rubber or another elastomeric material is provided which presses against the marginal portion 210 of the first trailing container when the arm 214 is displaced in clockwise direction. Once engagement of the portion 218 with the marginal portion 210 has taken place, continued movement of the arm 214 in clockwise direction results in a lifting of the entire stack of containers until the free marginal portion 210 is placed against the rubber or other buffer portion 220 of a counterpressure member 224 which is loaded by means of a spring or, as illustrated, by means of a weight 222, and until the portions 284 and 285 become disengaged from the edge 209 of the leading container 204. The latter can now descend under the influence of gravity and be settled in the respective container holder 102 which is in position, while the trailing container and with the remainder of the stack are prevented from following it.

The pressure with which the marginal portion 210 is engaged between the portions 218 and 220 can be adjusted by displacing the weight 222 longitudinally of the arm 226. For this purpose, the latter is provided with a thread 228 and the weight 222 is provided with an aperture which is tapped so that displacement of the weight 222 can be effected by turning it and thus displacing it longitudinally of the am 226. The

transverse distance between the members 284 and 285 must be so selected that the leading container is freed from their engagement after only a slight lifting of the container stack.

It is advantageous to be able to vary the angle of inclination of the chute 279, depending upon the size and material of the containers. In some cases it is also advantageous to be able to 295 must be adjustable in their relative transverse spacing if the apparatus is to be capable of utilization with containers of different diameters, thumb screws or wing-headed screws 242 and 244 are provided which are connected with the portions 284 and 285 and will displace them towards and away from one another when the screws 242 and 244 are turned.

A further embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 50. While the containers shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 have marginal portions, the outer circumferential surfaces of which extend in parallelism with the longitudinal axis of the respective container, the marginal portions 309 and 310 of the containers found in F IGS. 5 and 5a taper conically in the same manner as the remainder of the circumferential wall of the respective containers. Thus, when two containers are nested one within the other, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the marginal portion 309 wedgingly the surrounds and contacts the marginal portion 310. If the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 were to be used with the containers shown in FIG. 5, the possibility would arise that because of the clamping engagement the leading container would not become detached from the trailing nested container, and move under the influence of gravity to the respective container holder. To avoid this difficulty, I provide the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 5am which the elastomeric buffer member 218 of FIGS. 3 and 4 is replaced by two pressure pins 318 and 319 between which there is accommodated a separating member 320. This latter is fixedly connected to a shaft 322 which carries an arm 324 in non-rotatable relationship relative thereto. A tension spring 326 is connected to one end of the arm 324, whereas at the other end there is connected a rod 328 which is pivoted to a stationary pivot 330. If, now, the arm 214 is pivoted in clockwise direction about the pivot 212, then then arm 324 is pivoted against the force of the spring 326 by the rod 328 in counterclockwise direction; this displaces the separating member 320 downwardly, that is in the direction towards the discharge end of the chute. In so doing it presses against the I upper edge 331 on the upper marginal portion 309 of the leading container 304, thus shifting the latter positively away from its nested trailing container and overcoming the possibility that the containers might not separate because of the engagement of their marginal portions 309 and 310.

Coming, finally, to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6 and 7 it will be seen that this shows a container holder according to the present invention, having a circumferential wall of substantially U-shaped outline and mounted on a rod 400 which in turn is mounted on an arm of the cross member 22 (not illustrated in FIG. 6). In this embodiment, the inner space surrounded by the outer circumferential wall is of circular outline and the radius B corresponds to the radius of the respective container just below its upper marginal portion 209,210,309 or 310, respectively. It is clear that the holder embraces the respective container through somewhat more than a 180 arc, with the arms 402 and 406 being spaced from one another by a distance D which is smaller than twice the radius B. This distance D is so selected that it corresponds to the diameter of the respective container somewhat below the respective upper marginal portion thereof. It will be appreciated that if a container is held in the holdershown in FIG. 6 and 7, and if during movement of the holder the bottom of the container contacts an upwardly inclined guide surface 700, continued movement of the holder will cause the container to ride up on the guide surface and simultaneously to move upwardly in and with reference to the holder until such time as given requisite length and inclination of the guide surface-the arms 402 and 406 no longer prevent the removal of the container from the holder and its radially outward conveyance away from the holder by a suitable device, for instance the conveyor shown in FIG. 2.

This, then, makes it possible to automatically remove the containers due to the inventive configuration of the container holders, eliminating manual removal of the containers just as the invention eliminates manual insertion of the containers It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in an apparatus for potting of plants, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can be applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

lclaim:

1. An apparatus for potting of plants, comprising a hollow drum mounted for rotation about an at least substantially horizontal axis and having opposite axial ends each provided with a center opening through one of which said drum is adapted to receive particulate potting material in flowable state; feed means cooperating with said drum for sequentially advancing upwardly open potting containers through the other of said openings to a first location within said drum, and subsequently to a second location outside said drum; rotating means for rotating said drum about said axis; and entraining means interiorly of and rotatable with said drum for continuously entraining and cascading said potting material over and into potting containers at said first location for thereby filling them preparatory to their advancement to said second locatron.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim I, said entraining means comprising entraining blades provided at least in the region of said other opening.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1; and further comprising supply means for supplying a stack of potting containers in nested relationship and in a predetermined path to said feed means.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 3, said stack including a leading container and at least one trailing container nested in said leading container and having an exposed upper marginal portion; and wherein said supply means includes a chute downwardly inclined towards and having a lower discharge end adjacent to said feed means and supporting said stack in inclined position, first holding means in the region of said discharge end movable to a first withdrawn position from a normal first operating position engaging and holding said leading container against gravity advancement to said feed means, second holding means also in the region of said discharge end movable from a normal second withdrawn position to a second operating position engaging said marginal portion and holding said trailing container against advancement, and actuating means for moving said first holding means to'said first withdrawn position and said second holding means to said second operating position so as to permit advancement of only said leading container, and for thereupon moving said first holding means back to said first operating position and said second holding means to said second withdrawn position so as to permit advancement of said trailing container into engagement with said first holding means.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, said stack having a longitudinal axis coincident with the elongation of said path, and each of said containers having a forwardly directed bottom surface located in a general plane which is at least substantially normal to said axis; and wherein said first holding means comprises a plate member abutting the respective surface when said first holding means is in said first operating position thereof.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, said second holding means comprising a pin member withdrawable from and advanceable to said second operating position.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 6, said pin member being exteriorly threaded, and said second arm having a tapped opening in which said pin member is threadedly displaceable.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, said actuating means comprising a first arm located below said chute carrying said first holding means and being pivotally displaceable therewith between said first operating position and said first withdrawn position. a second arm located above said chute carrying said second holding means and being pivotally displaceable therewith between said second withdrawn position and said second operating position, an abutment on said second arm and normally bearing upon said first arm, a weight tending to pivotally displace said second arm to said second operating position and to displace said first arm via said abutment to said first withdrawn position, biasing means urging said first arm to said first operating position counter to said weight, and displacing means for pivotally displacing said first arm to said first withdrawn position with concomitant displacement of said second arm under the urging of said weight and with processional movement of said second holding means to said second operating position.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said arms are single-armed levers.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, said arms each having a pivoted first end portion farther from and a free second end portion closer to said discharge end, said first holding means being provided on said second end portion of said first arm, said weight being provided on said second end portion of said second arm, and said second holding means and abutment being provided intermediate said end portions of said second arm.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, said displacing means comprising a Bowden linkage connected with said first arm and operative for displacing the same to said first withdrawn position.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, said displacing means comprising electromagnetic means actuable for magnetically attracting and displacing said first arm to said first withdrawn position.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, said rotating means comprising a drive having a rotatable shaft; and said displacing means further comprising switch means in circuit with said electromagnetic means and actuatable for energizing the same, and cam means carried by and rotatable with said shaft and being operative for actuating said switch means when said first holding means is in said first operating position thereof.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said chute is downwardly inclined at an angle just sufiicient for gravity advancement of said containers.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 4; and further comprising varying means for varying the angle of downward inclination of said chute.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, said chute being of tubular configuration and surrounding and enclosing said stack.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, said chute having an upper portion and a lower portion provided with said discharge end, and wherein at least said upper portion is configurated as an open guide channel.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, said containers each having a forwardly directed lower endface extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of said stack, and said first holding means engaging said lower endface of the respectively leading container; and wherein said discharge end of said chute exposes at least said lower endface of said leading container and at least a part of said marginal portion of said trailing container for engagement by said first and second holding means, respectively.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, said containers each having a periphery and a forwardly directed endface extend ing transversely of the longitudinal axis of said stack, and wherein said first holding means comprises a first holding member extending inwardly of said periphery by a given distance and engaging said endface of the respectively leading container; and further comprising adjusting means for adjusting said distance to a greater or lesser value.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 19, said adjusting means comprising an adjusting screw threadedly mounted on said first arm and having a free portion projecting from the same and abutting against said chute, whereby said distance may be adjusted by turning said screw in a sense changing the length of said projecting free portion.

21. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, said feed means including a transporting member resembling a cross and having a plurality of arms, transporting means turning said transporting member about an axis in a sense sequentially positioning each of said arms at a charging station proximal to said discharge end and subsequently at said first and second locations, and a plurality of engaging members each carried on one of said arms and being of substantially U-shaped outline with the open side of the U facing away from said axis when the respective arm is positioned at said charging station.

22. An apparatus as defined in claim 21; and further comprising drilling means for drilling a planting hole in the potting material accommodated in the respective potting containers at said second location.

23. An apparatus as defined in claim 22; and further comprising removing means for removing said potting containers from said engaging members at a third location intermediate said second location and said charging station subsequent to drilling of said hold.

24. An apparatus as defined in claim 23, said removing means comprising a conveyor, a drive for said conveyor, and starting means operatively connected with said drive and with said actuating means for starting the former in response to operation of the latter.

25. An apparatus as defined in claim 24, said containers having a maximum diameter in the region of their upper open ends and a lesser diameter downwardly of said region, and said engaging members including a substantially U-shaped circumferential wall having end portions bounding the open side of the U and being spaced from one another by a distance corresponding substantially to said lesser diameter.

26. An apparatus as defined in claim 25, said conveyor having an upper supporting run located at a level above said U- shaped circumferential wall; and further comprising lifting means lifting the respective filled containers upwardly out of said circumferential wall and to the level of said upper supporting run in response to movement of the respective arm to said third location.

27. An apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein said lifting means is a member having an upwardly inclined surface on which the respective filled containers slide up to said level.

28. An apparatus as defined in claim 3, said stack including a leading container and at least one trailing container nested in said leading container, said containers each having an exposed upper marginal portion of a diameter greater than the diameter of the remainder of the container; and wherein said supply means includes a chute downwardly inclined towards and having a lower discharge end proximal to said feed means, first holding means in the region of said discharge end and holding said upper marginal portion of said leading container against gravity advancement of the latter to said feed means, second holding means also in the region of said discharge end and holding said upper marginal portion of said trailing container against advancement of the latter, and actuating means for displacing said stack with reference to said first holding means-in a sense freeing said leading container from the same for gravity advancement to said feed means and for subsequently freeing said trailing container for advancement into engagement with said first holding means.

29. An apparatus as defined in claim 28, said first holding means comprising a pair of stationary holding members engaging said upper marginal portion of said leading container at the juncture of said upper marginal portion with the remainder of said leading container, and being spaced from one another by a distance smaller than the diameter of said upper marginal portion.

30. An apparatus as defined in claim 29, said second holding means including a holding element located at one circumferential side of said stack and biased in direction toward an opposite circumferential side to a rest position slightly spaced from said one side, and said actuating means comprising pressure-exerting means operable for exerting pressure at least against said marginal portion of said trailing container in a sense displacing said stack sufficiently for freeing said leading container and simultaneously pressing said marginal portion of said trailing container against said holding element with concomitant displacement of the latter out of said rest position.

31. An apparatus as defined in claim 30, wherein said holding members are spaced from one another by a distance which is smaller than the diameter of the remainder of said containers.

32. An apparatus as defined in claim 30, said holding element and said pressure-exerting means each having a container-engaging buffer portion of elastomeric material.

33. An apparatus as defined in claim 32, wherein said elastomeric material is rubber.

34. An apparatus as defined in claim 30, said pressure-exerting means comprising a pressure portion for exerting during displacement of said stack a pressure on said leading container in direction axially of said stack in a sense separating said leading container from said trailing container.

35. An apparatus as defined in claim 34, said pressure-exerting means comprising engaging portions for engaging said marginal portion of said trailing container, and wherein said pressure portion is mounted with said engaging portions and movable with reference thereto axially of said stack in a sense engaging said leading container and exerting pressure thereon in direction axially of said stack.

36. An apparatus as defined in claim 35, said containers each having an upper open side bounded by an upper edge, and said marginal portion extending downwardly from said edge in direction towards said discharge end of said chute; and wherein said pressure portion is a pressure plate movable into engagement with said upper edge. 

1. An apparatus for potting of plants, comprising a hollow drum mounted for rotation about an at least substantially horizontal axis and having opposite axial ends each provided with a center opening through one of which said drum is adapted to receive particulate potting material in flowable state; feed means cooperating with said drum for sequentially advancing upwardly open potting containers through the other of said openings to a first location within said drum, and subsequently to a second location outside said drum; rotating means for rotating said drum about said axis; and entraining means interiorly of and rotatable with said drum for continuously entraining and cascading said potting material over and into potting containers at said first location for thereby filling them preparatory to their advancement to said second location.
 2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, said entraining means comprising entraining blades provided at least in the region of said other opening.
 3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1; and further comprising supply means for supplying a stack of potting containers in nested relationship and in a predetermined path to said feed means.
 4. An apparatus as defined in claim 3, said stack including a leading container and at least one trailing container nested in said leading container and having an exposed upper marginal portion; and wherein said supply means includes a chute downwardly inclined towards and having a lower discharge end adjacent to said feed means and supporting said stack in inclined position, first holding means in the region of said discharge end movable to a first withdrawn position from a normal first operating position engaging and holding said leading container against gravity advancement to said feed means, second holding means also in the region of said discharge end movable from a normAl second withdrawn position to a second operating position engaging said marginal portion and holding said trailing container against advancement, and actuating means for moving said first holding means to said first withdrawn position and said second holding means to said second operating position so as to permit advancement of only said leading container, and for thereupon moving said first holding means back to said first operating position and said second holding means to said second withdrawn position so as to permit advancement of said trailing container into engagement with said first holding means.
 5. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, said stack having a longitudinal axis coincident with the elongation of said path, and each of said containers having a forwardly directed bottom surface located in a general plane which is at least substantially normal to said axis; and wherein said first holding means comprises a plate member abutting the respective surface when said first holding means is in said first operating position thereof.
 6. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, said second holding means comprising a pin member withdrawable from and advanceable to said second operating position.
 7. An apparatus as defined in claim 6, said pin member being exteriorly threaded, and said second arm having a tapped opening in which said pin member is threadedly displaceable.
 8. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, said actuating means comprising a first arm located below said chute carrying said first holding means and being pivotally displaceable therewith between said first operating position and said first withdrawn position, a second arm located above said chute carrying said second holding means and being pivotally displaceable therewith between said second withdrawn position and said second operating position, an abutment on said second arm and normally bearing upon said first arm, a weight tending to pivotally displace said second arm to said second operating position and to displace said first arm via said abutment to said first withdrawn position, biasing means urging said first arm to said first operating position counter to said weight, and displacing means for pivotally displacing said first arm to said first withdrawn position with concomitant displacement of said second arm under the urging of said weight and with processional movement of said second holding means to said second operating position.
 9. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said arms are single-armed levers.
 10. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, said arms each having a pivoted first end portion farther from and a free second end portion closer to said discharge end, said first holding means being provided on said second end portion of said first arm, said weight being provided on said second end portion of said second arm, and said second holding means and abutment being provided intermediate said end portions of said second arm.
 11. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, said displacing means comprising a Bowden linkage connected with said first arm and operative for displacing the same to said first withdrawn position.
 12. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, said displacing means comprising electromagnetic means actuable for magnetically attracting and displacing said first arm to said first withdrawn position.
 13. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, said rotating means comprising a drive having a rotatable shaft; and said displacing means further comprising switch means in circuit with said electromagnetic means and actuatable for energizing the same, and cam means carried by and rotatable with said shaft and being operative for actuating said switch means when said first holding means is in said first operating position thereof.
 14. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said chute is downwardly inclined at an angle just sufficient for gravity advancement of said containers.
 15. An apparatus as defined in claim 4; and further comprising vArying means for varying the angle of downward inclination of said chute.
 16. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, said chute being of tubular configuration and surrounding and enclosing said stack.
 17. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, said chute having an upper portion and a lower portion provided with said discharge end, and wherein at least said upper portion is configurated as an open guide channel.
 18. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, said containers each having a forwardly directed lower endface extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of said stack, and said first holding means engaging said lower endface of the respectively leading container; and wherein said discharge end of said chute exposes at least said lower endface of said leading container and at least a part of said marginal portion of said trailing container for engagement by said first and second holding means, respectively.
 19. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, said containers each having a periphery and a forwardly directed endface extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of said stack, and wherein said first holding means comprises a first holding member extending inwardly of said periphery by a given distance and engaging said endface of the respectively leading container; and further comprising adjusting means for adjusting said distance to a greater or lesser value.
 20. An apparatus as defined in claim 19, said adjusting means comprising an adjusting screw threadedly mounted on said first arm and having a free portion projecting from the same and abutting against said chute, whereby said distance may be adjusted by turning said screw in a sense changing the length of said projecting free portion.
 21. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, said feed means including a transporting member resembling a cross and having a plurality of arms, transporting means turning said transporting member about an axis in a sense sequentially positioning each of said arms at a charging station proximal to said discharge end and subsequently at said first and second locations, and a plurality of engaging members each carried on one of said arms and being of substantially U-shaped outline with the open side of the U facing away from said axis when the respective arm is positioned at said charging station.
 22. An apparatus as defined in claim 21; and further comprising drilling means for drilling a planting hole in the potting material accommodated in the respective potting containers at said second location.
 23. An apparatus as defined in claim 22; and further comprising removing means for removing said potting containers from said engaging members at a third location intermediate said second location and said charging station subsequent to drilling of said hold.
 24. An apparatus as defined in claim 23, said removing means comprising a conveyor, a drive for said conveyor, and starting means operatively connected with said drive and with said actuating means for starting the former in response to operation of the latter.
 25. An apparatus as defined in claim 24, said containers having a maximum diameter in the region of their upper open ends and a lesser diameter downwardly of said region, and said engaging members including a substantially U-shaped circumferential wall having end portions bounding the open side of the U and being spaced from one another by a distance corresponding substantially to said lesser diameter.
 26. An apparatus as defined in claim 25, said conveyor having an upper supporting run located at a level above said U-shaped circumferential wall; and further comprising lifting means lifting the respective filled containers upwardly out of said circumferential wall and to the level of said upper supporting run in response to movement of the respective arm to said third location.
 27. An apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein said lifting means is a member having an upwardly inclined surface on which the respective filled contaiNers slide up to said level.
 28. An apparatus as defined in claim 3, said stack including a leading container and at least one trailing container nested in said leading container, said containers each having an exposed upper marginal portion of a diameter greater than the diameter of the remainder of the container; and wherein said supply means includes a chute downwardly inclined towards and having a lower discharge end proximal to said feed means, first holding means in the region of said discharge end and holding said upper marginal portion of said leading container against gravity advancement of the latter to said feed means, second holding means also in the region of said discharge end and holding said upper marginal portion of said trailing container against advancement of the latter, and actuating means for displacing said stack with reference to said first holding means in a sense freeing said leading container from the same for gravity advancement to said feed means and for subsequently freeing said trailing container for advancement into engagement with said first holding means.
 29. An apparatus as defined in claim 28, said first holding means comprising a pair of stationary holding members engaging said upper marginal portion of said leading container at the juncture of said upper marginal portion with the remainder of said leading container, and being spaced from one another by a distance smaller than the diameter of said upper marginal portion.
 30. An apparatus as defined in claim 29, said second holding means including a holding element located at one circumferential side of said stack and biased in direction toward an opposite circumferential side to a rest position slightly spaced from said one side, and said actuating means comprising pressure-exerting means operable for exerting pressure at least against said marginal portion of said trailing container in a sense displacing said stack sufficiently for freeing said leading container and simultaneously pressing said marginal portion of said trailing container against said holding element with concomitant displacement of the latter out of said rest position.
 31. An apparatus as defined in claim 30, wherein said holding members are spaced from one another by a distance which is smaller than the diameter of the remainder of said containers.
 32. An apparatus as defined in claim 30, said holding element and said pressure-exerting means each having a container-engaging buffer portion of elastomeric material.
 33. An apparatus as defined in claim 32, wherein said elastomeric material is rubber.
 34. An apparatus as defined in claim 30, said pressure-exerting means comprising a pressure portion for exerting during displacement of said stack a pressure on said leading container in direction axially of said stack in a sense separating said leading container from said trailing container.
 35. An apparatus as defined in claim 34, said pressure-exerting means comprising engaging portions for engaging said marginal portion of said trailing container, and wherein said pressure portion is mounted with said engaging portions and movable with reference thereto axially of said stack in a sense engaging said leading container and exerting pressure thereon in direction axially of said stack.
 36. An apparatus as defined in claim 35, said containers each having an upper open side bounded by an upper edge, and said marginal portion extending downwardly from said edge in direction towards said discharge end of said chute; and wherein said pressure portion is a pressure plate movable into engagement with said upper edge. 